The Awakening (The Hyperscape Project Book 1)

by Donald Swan

  BOOK ONE

  The Awakening

  By

  Donald Swan

  TheHyperscapeProject.com

  Copyright © 2013 C. Lebedz

  V4.1

  All rights reserved. The reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including any information and storage retrieval system, is forbidden without the prior written consent of the publisher and author. For information about "fair use," contact the author.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention. Any resemblance to actual events, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.

  Electronically published in the United States of America.

  I dedicate this to my wonderful wife and best friend. I couldn’t have done it without her patience, guidance and inspiration.

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Enemy activity had fallen into an eerie calm, but everyone felt the coming storm—a terrible storm, poised to unleash its fury upon the galaxy. It seemed as though the entire universe was holding its breath. Waiting. Whether waiting for the salvation of mankind or its demise was yet unclear.

  In some distant part of the galaxy….

  Nick released a long sigh as he gazed down at the worn Tri-tanium deck of the ship. A voice recorder sat poised before him on a sturdy metal table, its crude silver casing dimly illuminated by a single overhead light. He’d been awake for hours, struggling over how to begin. A few months ago he had set out from Earth to prove his hyperspace theory. Now that endeavor haunted every moment of his miserable existence. It seemed only yesterday he was in orbit around Earth, staring down at the wondrous blue planet he called home. But that was before the accident. Now the closest thing he had to a home was this ship and its odd array of alien life.

  Alien life. The very thought of it boggled his mind. Here he was, the first person to discover sentient extraterrestrial life, and no one on Earth may ever even find out about it. If it was his fate to be marooned here in the deep vastness of space, never to see his home or another human being again, then he could accept that. But the situation was worse. Far worse.

  Nick shifted his weight in the chair, his blue-eyed gaze fixed on the battered floor at his feet. The skeptics back on earth hadn’t exactly embraced his hyperspace project. In fact, Gerste, the leading German scientist, had been very vocal about calling the whole idea ludicrous. On national television no less. If only he could see the look on their faces now. He had proved them wrong, but the price of that victory was almost too much to bear.

  Finally summoning the strength to begin, Nick somberly reached out and pressed the record button.

  “Personal Log, Nick Bannon. I’m sending this to Earth, to anyone who will listen…. And you damn well better listen, because it could very well save your ass. All your asses. My experiment was a success. Hyperspace really does exist. I’m living proof of that. I only wish that I had stopped to consider the consequences of my actions. If I’d had any idea of the dangers involved…hell, I would’ve scrapped the whole damn project and gone back to what I like best—flying. But I never expected this. How could I have possibly known something like this would happen?” Nick’s forehead wrinkled in anguish at the thought of his terrible mistake. He closed his eyes and continued, his solemn voice echoing his regret. “Maybe I was a little too cocky or shortsighted. Something. Bottom line...I screwed up. Because of me, Earth may be facing the greatest threat mankind has ever seen. And I may be the only one that can stop our planet’s total destruction. I don’t kno—”

  A voice coming from the doorway cut him off mid-sentence. “It’s time.”

  “Be right there, Karg.” Nick turned his attention back to the recorder.

  “Listen, I’m out of time. I don’t know if this will ever make it to you, but I have to try. We…mankind…um…. Jesus, how do I explain this? Under no circumstances should the human race venture into hyperspace. It must be avoided at all cost. There are other races…beings out here…vastly older and more powerful than we are. Earth wouldn’t stand a chance against them. If humans begin exploring hyperspace, it will only draw alien attention toward Earth, and billions will die.”

  Nick paused to collect himself. Who knew if any of this would get through to the hard-headed military types back home. But he had to try. If he didn’t fix this, it could mean the end of the entire human race. Uncertain of what lay ahead, he sat quietly in the dark metal compartment he now called home, the sound of his heart pounding over the faint hum of the ship’s engines, like a distant war drum calling him to action.

  He drew in another ragged breath and forced himself to continue. “In my ignorance I have handed these malevolent beings the power to destroy entire planets. Hundreds of billions of lives are in danger, and it won’t be long before they find their way to Earth. I’m going to attempt to right the wrongs I have done. To erase all signs of this hyperspace technology, and with it, any hope I have of getting home. I only pray that I’m not already too late. God help us all.”

  Nick reached down, shut off his make-shift digital recorder, and removed the diamond memory card he had salvaged from his camera. He held the small crystal-embedded card between his fingers, allowing the light to dance off it as his thoughts drifted home. The fate of his entire species was in his hands, and time was running out. Chances were he wouldn’t survive the next few hours. But he was out of options. Live or die, the Mok’tu had to be stopped. His life, or the lives of billions? The choice was clear.

  Nick stood up and headed out the door, running face-first into Arya as she rounded the corner of the corridor.

  Startled, Arya’s hand landed against Nick’s chest as they collided. “There you are. I was looking for you.” She pulled away from him slightly, but with obvious hesitation. Her hand lingered long on his chest as she looked into his pale blue eyes.

  “Arya,” Nick sputtered. “I was hoping I would see you before I…go.” He paused, not wanting to acknowledge the deadly reality of his plan. “If I don’t make it back, I just wanted to thank you. For everything.”

  Something more was gnawing at him. It was silly, really. But if he didn’t say it now, he may not get another chance. “You know, I’ve been wanting to tell you what the word Aria means on my world, but I just never seemed to get the chance. It refers to a beautiful song. A graceful melody that floats on air and delights the senses. It’s a fitting name for you.”

  Arya stared up at the strange creature she had come to know as friend. If only she were stronger, she could force back the tears she felt forming on her lashes. But for some reason when it came to Nick, she had very little strength. Through her tears, she smiled. If only there was more time.

  The gift in Arya’s pocket shifted slightly, pulling her back to the cold reality of their situation. She reached down and plucked a small, gold amulet from her pocket and held it out. “Here, I want you to have this. It is considered by my people to be lucky
.” She held the necklace up, letting the exquisitely crafted amulet dangle in front of her. “This amulet is said to contain water that was blessed by the very first Queen of Aris. I’ve had it since I was a child.”

  Nick looked into Arya’s sad, green, alien eyes as she placed the amulet around his neck. She stood so close he could feel the warmth of her body, smell the subtle fragrance of perfume that drifted from her neck, drawing him silently toward her. He resisted the urge to reach out to her and instead only muttered an awkward “Thanks.”

  Her eyes locked with his and they stared silently at one another. This could very well be the last time they would ever see each other, and words were simply too inadequate to express the depth of emotions they held inside.

  Nick finally broke the gaze. “I’m ready. You know what to do with this.” He held out his hand and opened his fingers to reveal the diamond memory card containing his recorded message.

  Arya took the card and cradled it in her hand. “Don’t worry,” she reassured him. “We will launch the hyperspace probe along the coordinates you specified. It will transmit your recording into hyperspace repeatedly for months before running out of power. I’m sure your people will get the message.”

  Nick’s plan was a long shot at best. He hoped Earth would be conducting more research based on the data he’d collected during his first mission. With luck, a pilot from a follow-up mission could track the signal, find the probe and retrieve the data crystal. From Nick’s calculations, hyperspace should amplify the radio waves, extending the transmission’s range and increasing the odds of them locating the probe. The information on the crystal should be sufficient enough to scare the military into thinking twice about continuing their Hyperspace research program.

  Arya watched as Nick turned and marched down the long corridor toward the hangar bay and his uncertain future. Her heart sank as he rounded the bend at the far end of the hall. She felt her mouth form his name, but only a whisper left her lips. The tension in her throat would allow no more. What was wrong with her? She couldn’t seem to think straight. This strange human creature called Nick had her emotions running rampant. Emotions she had never felt before. All she could think of was how she just couldn’t bear to see him die.

  She fought the desire to run after him, stop him. If only there was another way, any other way. But she knew this was the only hope they had of saving her people and countless millions of lives on other worlds. She had no choice. No choice at all. Brave Nick. One day they would erect monuments in his name and rejoice. But not today.

  Helmet in hand Nick hurried through the doors of the hangar bay. The hyperspace module sat prepped and ready for his departure. Rows of bright lights along the broad curved ceiling of the hangar gleamed off the alien propulsion system that had been recently retrofitted to the back of his craft. The golden hue of the new tri-tanium engine casings stuck out like a sore thumb against the module’s white exterior. It wasn’t pretty, but the new engines sure beat the pants off the old chemical rocket propulsion for both speed and range.

  Nick started around the module then stopped abruptly. A smile broke over his face as he stared at the module’s nosecone. Karg’s massive alien body rose up from behind the craft. A splotch of red paint clung to the side of his cheek. Nick stared at the paint.

  Karg raised one boney brow. “What? Don’t you like it?”

  Nick grinned from ear to ear. “It’s perfect. Thanks, Karg.”

  It was an Earth tradition for war planes to have painted nosecones. His father’s old Starfighter was no exception. Nick had taped a photo of the Starfighter to the dash of the module, in honor of his father, and in hopes that some of dad’s luck would rub off on him. Karg had always been fascinated by the picture of that old Starfighter, and had taken it upon himself to replicate the ship’s markings. In pretty good detail, too. An open mouth full of sharp teeth now adorned the front of the module, making it look like a big, fat great white shark. It was a nice gesture. One that made Nick feel a little closer to home. At least it helped diffuse the tension of his final moments, and for that he was grateful.

  A voice crackled over Nick’s com-badge. “If you’re going, you better go now. We’ve just been spotted, and they’re moving to intercept.”

  “Yes, Captain. Launching now. As soon as I leave the bay, get the ship clear of this area. You don’t want to be around when I light this thing up.”

  “Understood. Good luck, Bannon.”

  With a pat on Karg’s back, Nick climbed into the module and strapped himself in. He closed the cockpit canopy and roared out of the hangar bay to face the Mok’tu’s massive Star-Killer ship. Alone.

  Three Months Earlier….

  Nick Bannon sat in the cramped, one-man cockpit of his Hyperspace vehicle at the designated test coordinates between the Earth and the moon. From his vantage point in space, the view of the Launch complex on the moon was breathtaking. The large main dome complex, ringed by smaller satellite domes, was easy to spot against the stark gray lunar surface. Particularly striking was the green biomass dome filled with genetically modified plants and algae, an integral part of the moon dome’s life support system. Even the linear mass driver rails at Pad Two, the very ones that had recently propelled him into space, were visible in stunning detail. As he pulled his camera up to get a commemorative shot, his gaze was drawn toward a glint of sunlight reflecting off something nearby. There she was, Space Station Omega. The first of her kind. Gleaming brightly against the dark backdrop of space. ‘The Wheel’ as it was referred to by the crew. The multi-national station was the first to use centrifugal force to simulate gravity. He’d often gazed up at it from the launch complex and wondered what it’d be like to be part of the crew. But he’d never seen it from so close. It was impressive. Outfitted with all the latest tech, she sure was a sight to behold. But Nick didn’t have time to enjoy the scenery. He needed to get back to his mission checklist. Today was a big day for him. It marked the culmination of years of preparation. This was the only shot he would have at proving his hyperspace theory. The military big-wigs had only allocated enough funding for one mission. If he didn’t obtain some positive results from this test-flight, he wouldn’t get another chance. It was a miracle that he had been cleared to use the space station’s new instruments to monitor the experiment in the first place, something that would be practically impossible to do once the station went fully online. Nick’s little experiment was more or less just a shakedown for the station before going operational.

  Nick reached to flip the final switch in preparation for the flight and accidentally bumped his elbow on the side of the tiny cockpit. Pain shot down his arm and buzzed to his fingertips. He winced but remained focused on his task. He was accustomed to the cramped conditions. Nick practically grew up in one cockpit or another. As a kid on his father’s knee, the inside of a fighter cockpit seemed as big as his childhood dreams. Not so much anymore. It would be nice to have a little extra elbow room, but unlike the station, that kind of luxury wasn’t in the budget. For now, he’d just have to deal with the cockpit’s small size.

  Hoping that all the equipment worked as planned, he took a deep breath and radioed mission control. “Serenity Base, I am go for hyperspace deployment.”

  “Roger, Hyper One. Omega Station reads ready. You are clear for field deployment. Godspeed.”

  After a final check of his instruments, Nick flipped the switch that armed the field generator. “Switching on telemetry now.”

  “Telemetry looks good, Hyper One.”

  Nick glanced over at the photo of his father that he had stuck to the console earlier. It was his favorite picture. There was good ol’ dad, standing proudly in front of his Starfighter, flight suit zipped, helmet under one arm. The picture had been taken shortly before the Moon War. “I wish you were here to see this, dad.”

  He looked out the window one last time at the thin veil of atmosphere surrounding planet Earth below and once again tried to quell his uneasiness. “Piece of
cake. Be home in time for dinner.”

  “Say again, Hyper One. Your transmission was garbled.”

  “Sorry, Serenity. Just talkin’ to myself.” Nick took another deep breath and focused back on the mission at hand. The smell of cold, oxygenated air filling his lungs was somehow comforting. It took him back to a simpler time, back when his father used to let him pretend to be a fighter pilot. He smiled at the picture on the dash. Those were the days. But there would be time for reminiscing later. Right now he had a job to do.

  “Initiating hyperspace field in three…two…one….” He threw the last switch. A strange bluish glow danced outside the windows and lit up the cockpit as the instruments began collecting data.

  “Serenity, you seein’ this?”

  “Roger, Hyper One. Data looks good. My God, this is incredible!”

  The sound of cheers rolling through the mission control center erupted over Nick’s headset. Flight control team members chattered in the background as they worked furiously to make sense of the readings. Then a familiar calm voice came over the channel.

  “Don’t lose your head, Bannon. How does it look for phase two?” It was Phil, the flight director.

  “I’m on it. Adjusting field strength for optimal insertion. Window now at optimal.”

  “Go on phase two,” Phil replied over the radio.

  “Launching hyperspace probe now, Serenity.” Nick reached for the launch button. Just before he hit the switch, a loud warning signal went off. The sudden sound scared the living daylights out of him. Startled, he jerked back, accidentally hitting his hand against the cockpit window.

  “Son of a bitch!” Regaining his composure, he looked down at the single red light flashing rapidly on the instrument panel.

  Serenity Base broke in. This time Phil’s voice had a tone of concern. No one else would have caught the minor inflection in his voice, but Nick had heard this tone before. Something was wrong. “Hyper One, we’re reading some sort of power surge. It looks like feedback from the hyperspace window. Do you copy, Hyper One?”